Device for tuning stringed instruments



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,508

F. KORDICK DEVICE FOR TUNING STRINGED INSTfiUllENTS Filed June 16, 1926mnnliiiiiiiiiluumx Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF'l 'l'Cfli FRANK KORDICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T REGAL MUSICAL INSTRU- MENT .00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR TUNING STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

npplication filed June 16, 1926.

This invention relates to tuning attachments for stringed musicalinstruments.

The principal object of my invention resides in the provision of asimple device for facilitating the tuning of stringed instruments andwhich will insure the accurate tuning thereof by beginners and otherspersons more or less unacquainted with the fin ger board and correctmanner of tuning instruments. The proper tuning ofa stringed instrumentby beginners particularly is a matter of some difficulty and 1S likelyto consume an undue amount of time. In tuning these stringedinstruments, when the tone of one selected string has been properlytuned to a. standard the remaining strings are tuned to such string bycomparison.-

Generally an upper or lower string is selected as the standard oftuning. After this spring is properly tuned, the string next to it isfretted at a particular point on the fin.- ger board and this nextstring is then tensioned until the two strings produce similar tones.After this second string is tuned, the third string is tuned from it ina similar manner and this process is continued until all the stringshave been tuned. Obviously, there are many different ways of tuningthese strings but in any case the strings are tuned by comparing themone to the other. It sometimes happens that a beginner is unacquaintedwith or has forgotten the particular manner in which the strings shouldbe fretted to properly compare them in tuning, in which case it isimpossible to properly tune the instrument. My invention contemplatesthe tuning of the instrument by temporarily arranging the strings sothat the tuning may be accomplished by bringing the several strings tothe same key instead of dilferent keys. In accordance with my invention,the tone characteristics of the several strings are by compensationbrought to a common tone characteristic for the purpose of tuning andupon release of the strings the desired difference is automaticallyproduced,

One of the objects of my invention resides in providing a simple deviceadapted to be attached to the finger board of a stringed instrument,such as guitar, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, violin, or the like, and pro-Serial No. 116,365.

vided with fretting members arranged so that when one of the frettingmembers is placed in proper position to fret one of the strings of theinstrument, the remaining fretting members of a device will necessarilybe disposed to produce the proper tuning of the instrument.

Another object of my invention resides in providing an attachment forthe finger board of a stringed instrument which, when placed in positionthereon, will fret the strings in such a manner as to permit theinstrument to be tuned without additional fretting of the strings by thefinger of the operator.

Still another object of my invention resides in providing a tuningattachment for a stringed instrument which is simple in construction andattachment to the stringed instrument, which simplifies and assures theproper tuning of thestringed instrument.

Numerous other objects .and advantages of the invention will be a parentas it is better understood from the ollowing description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of my invention as applied to aukulele.

Fig. 2 represents a side view thereof,

Fig. 3 a section on line 8''3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 represents the device as disassembled from the instrument.

It is obvious that my invention is capable of physical embodimentadapted for use in tuning any type of stringed instrument, such, forinstance, as guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, t iples, violins andthe like. For purposes of illustration I have shown one embodiment of myinvention in the drawings and as applied to the finger board of aukulele. In the embodiment illustrated, the device comprises abow-shaped clamping member 1, preferably of spring metal, which member lhas two arms 2 and 3; the lower arm 2 passes under the finger board ofthe ukulele and the upper arm 3 passes over the top of the finger board4 and is maintained in spaced relation thereover. .This top arm 3 isprovided with a longitudinal slot 5, through which passes a thumb screw6 provided with a head 7. To this thumb screw 6 is riveted a frettingbar 8, which in the present instance lies transversely to the directionof the slot 5 and substantially parallel with the length of the fingerboard 4 of the instrument.

This fretting bar 8 carries a plurality of fretting members, which areadapted to overlie certain of the strings of the instrument atpredetermined points on the finger board. In the present instance thefretting bar 8 is shown as provided with two oppositely extending wings10 and 11, the extreme ends of which are bent downwardly as at 12 so asto provide a plurality of fretting fingers 13 and 14 which may becovered with rubber or the like. It will be noted that these frettingfingers l3 and 14 are not located in the same direct line. In thespecific embodiment shown the bar fretting member 14 is located out ofthe line of the fretting member 13, preferably the distance of twoadjacent strings, so that when the fretting bar 8 is placed on. thefinger board the bar fretting member 14 will lie on the string X Whilethe lower fretting member 13 will lie on the string Y.

In addition the bar 8 is preferably provided with a third frettingmember. T 0 this end the bar- 8 is slotted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 at15, a portion of the metal formed by this slot is bent downwardly as at16 to from a tongue which is covered with rubber to provide a thirdfretting member 17. This fretting member is located out of a longitudinal line passing through either of the fretting members 13 or 14,and in the present instance is located so that when the fretting member14 is on the string X and the fretting member 13 is on string Y, thefretting member 17 will .beon string Z.-.

In order to permit the adjustment of the fretting .bar 8 longitudinallyof the slotted arm 3, the fretting bar 8 is slightly sunk as at 18 toprovide an end seat or guideway in which the upper arm 3 rests. Thiscompels the bar 8 to move only transversely of the upper arm 3. By meansof this arrangement the bar 8 can be adjusted transversely of the lengthof the finger board.

In the present embodiment of my invention the fretting members 13, 14and 17 are so arranged with respect to the length of the fretting bar 8and are so arranged laterally with respect to each other, that when thedevice'is attached to the finger board 4 and the fretting finger 14 isfretted upon string X intermediate the first and second frets, thefretting finger l3 willnecessarily and automatically fret the string Ybetween the eighth and ninth frets, and the fretting finger 17 will fretthe string Z between the fourth and fifth frets of the ukulele, thestring W remaining unfretted. In this position of attachment all of thestrings, when properly tuned, should be in the same key and, therefore,it is only necessary for an operator to properly tune the strings sothat they are keyed alike.

t must be manifest that my improved device is equally effective on thefinger board of a violin or other stringed instrument which is notprovided with frets.

.It must be obvious that various modifications and changes are withinthe spirit and scope of my invention and that such an attachment is notrestricted to three fretting members or any combination of frettingmembers which will cause all of the strings to be fretted for the samekey. The invention contemplates any arrangement for positively andautomatically fretting one or more strings when the attachment is placedin position with one of its fretting members in a predetermined frettingposition on a single string and the device also contemplates anyarrangement whereby when the device is. applied the fretting memberswill fret any well known cord or predetermined arrangement of notes whenthe strings are properly tuned. It must also be apparent that Variousarrangements of the fretting members and the means for attaching thedevice to the finger board of the stringed instrument are withinthecontemplation of my invention. 7 i

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A tuning attachment for the fingerboard of a stringed musicalinstrument cemprising, a member having stops adapted to engage aplurality of strings of said instrument, said stops being so positionedwith relation to each other as to bring all the strings engaged to thenormal tone charac teristic of an unengaged string whereby, when saidstrings are tensioned to a common pitch, removal of said member willresult in said strings having the desired predetermined difference inpitch, and means for holding said member in position during tuning.

2. An attachment for the finger-board of a stringed musical instrumentcomprising, a member having stops adapted to engage a plurality ofstrings of said instrument, said stops being so positioned with relationto each other as to bring all the strings engaged to the normal tonecharacteristic of a string of'said instrument whereby, when said stringsare tensioned to a common pitch, removal of said member will result insaid strings having the desired predetermined difierence in pitch, andmeans for holding said member in position during tuning.

3. An attachment for a finger board of a stringedmusical instrument,comprising a clamping member and a bar adapted to overlie a portion ofthe finger board of the instrument, said bar carrying a plurality offretting fingers positioned so that when one of the fretting fingers isplaced in a predetermined fretting position on one of the strings of theinstrument, another fretting member will necessarily be located at aproper fretting position of another string to produce a proper frettingrelation of the strings, so that one of said strings may be tuned bycomparison with the tune of the other.

4. An attachment for the finger board of a stringed musical instrument,comprising a fretting bar adapted to overlie the finger board of theinstrument, means for clamping said fretting bar to the finger board ofthe instrument and a plurality of fretting fingers carried by thefretting bar, said fretting fingers being arranged a predetermineddistance apart longitudinally of the finger board and being arranged apredetermined distance apart laterally of the finger board, so that whenone of said fretting fingers is placed at a predetermined point on oneof said strings to fret the same, another fretting finger willnecessarily be placed on the adjacent string and at a proper positionthereon to permit the exact tuning of the instrument without furtherfretting either of said strings.

5. An attachment for a stringed musical instrument, comprising afretting bar adapted to overlie the finger board of the instrument,means for clamping said fretting bar in position thereon, and aplurality of fretting fingers carried by said fretting bar, saidfretting fingers being positioned with respect to each other so thatwhen one of said fretting fingers is placed upon one of said strings andat a predetermined fretting position thereon, certain other fingers,when fretting adjacent strings of the instru- 'ment, will lie in exactfretting position to produce facile tuning of the instrument withoutadditional fretting of the strings.

A tuning device for stringed musical instruments and the like,comprising a fretting bar adapted to overlie the finger board of theinstrument, said fretting bar including a plurality of fretting fingerspositioned in predetermined position thereon and constructed so thatwhen one of said fretting fingers is disposed on a predetermined stringof the instrument and in a pretermined fretting position thereon, theremaining fretting fingers of the bar will necessarily fall in suchfretting position on certain other strings to permit tuning of thedevice without further fretting of the strings.

7. A tuning attachment for a string music'al instrument, comprising aresilient bowshaped clamp adapted firmly to embrace the finger board ofthe instrument, a fretting bar carried by the upper member of said clampand arranged above and longitudinally of the finger board, said frettingbar having arms provided with downwardly turned flanges, each forming a.fretting finger adapted to engage a string, the fretting fingers onopposite ends of the bar being disposed out of line with each othersubstantially the distance between adjacent strings and being apretermined distance apart lengthwise of the bar.

8. A tuning attachment for a string musical instrument, comprising abow-shaped clamping member having on its upper end a fretting barextending transversely of the finger board when the clamping bar is inposition on the finger board, said bar having on its extremitiesdownwardly extending parts forming fretting fingers, said frettingfingers being disposed laterally with each other substantially thedistance between two adjacent strings, an intermediate fretting fingerformed by a downwardly bent portion of the bar, said downwardly bentportion being disposed laterally of the other fretting fingerssubstantially the distance of a string, whereby the bar is provided withthree fretting fingers which are adapted to engage in predeterminedposition three adjacent strings of the instrument when the attachment isplaced on such instrument with one of the fretting bars at a fixedfretting position thereon.-

9. A tuning device of a stringed musical instrument, comprising aresilient, bowshaped metal clamp bar adapted to firmly grip the fingerboard of the instrument and, a fretting bar, said clamp bar having anupper arm provided with a longitudinal slot, a fretting bar havingoppositely extending arms projecting transversely of the upper arm ofthe clamp bar and provided with a recessed guideway for receiving theupper arm of the clamp bar, said fretting bar having a threaded shankfastened thereto and projecting through the slot of the clamp bar, a nuton said shank to clamp the fretting bar and upper arm together and aplurality of fretting fingers formed on said fretting bar and dependingthereon in a predetermined position.

FRANK KORDICK.

